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Captain Marvel: Every Update You Need To Know

Captain Marveltells the story of Carol Danvers, an Air Force pilot who gains superpowers due to a cosmic accident. Starring Brie Larson, the 2019 film will adapt Earth's Mightiest Hero from the pages of Marvel Comics to the big screen and see the popular character join the ranks of the MCU. The marketing push for the next Marvel movie has now begun, so we're running down all the updates you need—from casting news to when the first trailer will arrive.

Release Date: March 8, 2019

Cast: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn.

Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck

Writers: Nicole Perlman, Meg LeFauve, Geneva Robertson-Dworet

Last Updated: November 29, 2018

Brie Larson is playing Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel is Marvel's first female-led superhero film as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, casting an actress in the role of Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, was a long and arduous process, just as it was casting every other major character in the MCU. A number of actresses vied and tested for the role, but it eventually went to Oscar-winning actress Brie Larson (Room, 21 Jump Street), who officially joined the shared universe in 2016.

Captain Marvel is Set in 1995

Captain Marvel will be Marvel's second period-piece, behind Captain America: The First Avenger, and is set in 1995. It's as yet unclear how the film will fit with the MCU's overall continuity, as the studio is keeping tight-lipped about just why they've stepped back in time to the '90s, but it's presumably for story purposes. The film will need to account for Captain Marvel's absence in the MCU over all these years, which should make for an intriguing storyline.

Jude Law is also Starring in Captain Marvel

Jude Law has signed up as the male lead in Captain Marvel, and it was originally reported that he was playing the part of Mar-Vell, the hero who inspired Carol Danvers. Curiously, Law has refused to confirm this, and the studio declined to name his character as part of EW's first look. That's leading many to speculate that Marvel has a plot twist in mind regarding Law's mysterious Kree warrior. He's been described as a devout warrior with a passionate "belief in the divine leadership of the Kree people," which doesn't sound particularly like Mar-Vell.

It's been confirmed that Law is commander of the Kree Starforce, an elite military unit that Carol has joined after gaining her powers. The other members of the Starforce - including Ronan the Accuser - are traditionally villains in the comics.

Nick Fury, Agent Coulson, Ronan & More Are in Captain Marvel

Despite being set before the start of the MCU as we know it, 2019's Captain Marvel will feature a lot of familiar faces.

Samuel L. Jackson was at the forefront of getting the Marvel Cinematic Universe off the ground, and he will be making his sixth appearance as the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. in 2019's Captain Marvel. But, it will technically be Nick Fury's first appearance canonically, seeing as the film is primarily set in the 1990s. That also means Fury will have both of his eyes in the film, not just one working eye and one eye-patch.

It was later confirmed at the start of filming that Clark Gregg, Lee Pace and Djimon Hounsou are all returning, reprising their roles as Agent Coulson, Ronan and Korath, respectively.

As for how Marvel is able to use the Skrulls, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn explained after the Skrulls announcement that only some Skrulls are wholly owned by 20th Century Fox, whereas Skrulls as a race are co-owned by both Fox and Marvel Studios. That's what allows them to be a part of the MCU, even this late in the game.

"The story follows Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, “Captain Marvel” is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe."

How Captain Marvel Connects to the Rest of the MCU

Captain Marvel's story is expected to set the character up for an important role in Avengers 4. It's been confirmed that the film will revisit the Quantum Realm, the mysterious dimension that was key to Ant-Man & the Wasp. Beyond that, it's serving as the origin story for a large number of characters who already exist in the MCU, including Nick Fury, Ronan the Accuser, and even Agent Coulson.

Captain Marvel Is Teased in Avengers: Infinity War Post-Credits Scene

Although Brie Larson was cast as Captain Marvel in 2016, she's not expected to make her on-screen debut until her 2019 solo film. Barring a post-credits scene in Ant-Man & the Wasp, she will then reprise her role in next year's Avengers 4. Though rumors suggested that she would be appearing in Avengers: Infinity War, its release proved otherwise. That said, Captain Marvel's presence wasn't completely absent from the team-up movie as she was teased in the post-credits scene. As people around the world start disappearing, we see the return of Maria Hill and Nick Fury. And just before the former head of S.H.I.E.L.D. bites the dust, he sends out a signal on a modified pager and gets Captain Marvel's symbol in return.

Captain Marvel Theories

The first wave of Captain Marvel theories really focused on one simple question; where has been Captain Marvel been since the 1990s? The first possible answer was that she has been in space, perhaps battling on the war-fronts of the Kree Empire; the second was that she could have been stranded in the Quantum Realm.

First details from Captain Marvel have raised another tantalizing question; just who is Jude Law's character? Given it's increasingly unlikely he's portraying Mar-Vell, a popular theory has suggested that he's actually playing the Kree villain Yon-Rogg. In that scenario, neither the Kree nor the Skrulls are truly "good guys," and Captain Marvel could have been manipulated into serving in the Kree Starforce.

Ever since the first Captain Marvel trailer released, there has been an influx in new theories about the Captain Marvel movie as well as how it connects to Avengers 4.

Captain Marvel Teaser Trailer is Out Now

The first Captain Marvel trailer released in September 2018 and largely teased Brie Larson's introduction as Carol Danvers rather than show too much about how the movie connects to the rest of the MCU. However, the first Captain Marvel trailer also teased Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury and Clark Gregg's big screen return as Agent Coulson.

Captain Marvel's Poster Reveals New Costume Look

A Captain Marvel movie poster released alongside the movie's first trailer in September. Rather than focusing on Captain Marvel's superhero exploits, the poster made sure to highlight Carol Danvers' history as a pilot by having her stand inside a hangar. Furthermore, the Captain Marvel poster revealed yet a new look at Captain Marvel's classic superhero costume.

Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck Are Directing Captain Marvel

Leading up to Captain Marvel's official confirmation, it was believed that Marvel would try to find a female director for the film, just as Warner Bros. hired Patty Jenkins for Wonder Woman. And they did look at some top-tier female directors, but they ultimately settled on directing duo, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (It's Kind of a Funny Story, Mississippi Grind). They've only directed a few films, and they are newcomers to tent-pole films, but then again, so are most blockbuster directors nowadays.

Geneva Robertson-Dworet Wrote Captain Marvel's Script

Screenwriters Nicole Perlman and Meg LeFauve wrote the first draft of the script, turning it in in December 2016. The duo were eventually replaced with Geneva Robertson-Dworet, whose first major screenplay is 2018's Tomb Raider. Although Robertson-Dworet rewrote Captain Marvel's script, the crux of the story Perlman and LeFauve wrote will be retained in the final cut.

Captain Marvel Has Finished Filming

Captain Marvel was originally slated to enter production in March 2018, but cameras started rolling on the project in January 2018. As it turns out, Marvel Studios was awarded $20.7 million in tax credits if they started filming the movie within 180 days of receiving the credit. Otherwise, the credit would expire. And that 180-day frame concluded in late January, hence why principal photography began much earlier than expected. However, Marvel was allowed to put the production on a 120-day hiatus - after completing filming for one or two weeks - and return in March without losing the tax credit. Filming finished in July; however, Captain Marvel started undergoing reshoots in November.